Thanks for posting this Buddy. I knew about the Forsythe -- as mentioned in the other thread, Vertiginous and In the Middle are returning to the stage-- and had a request into the press office regarding the rest of the Festival program. The only new piece here is Forsythe's "N.N.N.N." performed by 4 dancers on March 3rd: that will be the only premiere for this festival.

Although the other 2 Forsythe works have not been in the rep for a few years, and are now being re-rehearsed, everything else includes old premieres (Midsummer from last June).

At least there are some promising guest artists -- agree that it will be good to see Olga Esina return again to her native stage. I saw the Vienna State Opera (where she has been since ~2006/7ish) when I visited Vienna in 2008. But sadly she was not dancing Onegin the night I attended.

You're welcome, Catherine. I've still not found any official announcements from the Mariinsky.

I did read your Forsythe news awhile ago. I've not seen "N.N.N.N." mentioned anywhere, so thanks for that info. The "Romeo and Juliet" performance on February 28 has been on the Mariinsky calendar for several weeks, but that's about it.

In regard to Forsythe, I've been watching an internet video clip of Ekaterina Kondaurova dancing "In The Middle Somewhat Elevated", other artists doing the same and then William Forsythe, himself, dancing one of his works. It's an interesting comparison. I've long considered Ekaterina Kondaurova to be one of the most adaptable dancers at the Mariinsky. If she indeed dances all the leads, Diamonds, Rubies and Emeralds by George Balanchine, this would be another indication of this. Her husband, Islom Baimuradov, Principal Character Artist and her coach, seems at least as adaptable so there may be some carryover. There has been no mention, though, that she will dance any of the Forsythe program.

[Added comment. It appears that the Forsythe company will be performing "N.N.N.N." according to its own site and as noted by sophia at Dansomanie. I overlooked this. (The Forsythe site's wording remains a little confusing to me as this is listed under "Choreographies".)]

Thanks, Catherine, for the latest information. I check the site everyday myself but you got up earlier than I did today. Brava !

I just got tickets to five of them. This will be my ninth year in a row. I think that you've been to even more. It's certainly one of the highest of high points in my year. The minute a Festival is over I start living for the next one.

Thanks, Catherine, for this new information. With the actual Forsythe company present this will be a fine chance to make a comparison. I think that the Mariinsky has done an excellent job with its interpretation of the Balanchine rep, so let's hope for the best with the Forsythe this year.

This year's Festival will have two evening performances by George Balanchine, "Jewels" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I've enjoyed very much the Mariinsky's interpretations of Balanchine works over the last several years. I say interpretations because they seem somewhat different in feeling from what George Balanchine presented. One major difference is that the Mariinsky takes seem more lyrical, more refined. I'm not that familiar with Balanchine style or performances, but they seem a little more hard edged, more jazzy.

Although the Mariinsky might not have the innate understanding of George Balanchine's intent, like dancers who live in the world in which he created and staged much of his work, the United States, and have even been taught by his own dancers, the Mariinsky's interpretations are not without a basic understanding. Maybe it's because George Balanchine came from the same school and country that they do, the Vaganova Academy in Russia, or maybe it's just the universality of the dance language. At least one London critic, after the remarkable Mariinsky Balanchine/Robbins evenings in London two summers ago, stated that the Mariinsky had brought its own back home, that George Balanchine had always be a part of the Mariinsky. This is a very 'discussable' viewpoint, but having attended those evenings, I had a very similar feeling, even to the extent of including Jerome Robbins' "In The Night" because of the possible Balanchine influence.

In September of last year, the well known London reviewer, Clement Crisp, on the suggestion of Merrill Ashley, the famous Balanchine dancer who had just finished coaching the Bolshoi in George Balanchine's Diamonds, actually went to Moscow. He was knocked over by the performance of Olga Smirnova, a Vaganova graduate, only 19 years old(!). He had this to say:

"I saw superb performances by [Suzanne] Farrell, for whom a fascinated Balanchine made Diamonds. Smirnova’s radiance, the unaffected nobility of her manner and the charm of her means make the role hers. She creates something magical and it touches the spirit. Not since the earliest performances by Altynai Asylmuratova have I seen so luminous a debut. We have much to hope for."

I've been watching two internet videos of Diamonds. One is performed by Suzanne Farrell and the other by Olga Smirnova. (There are at least two videos of Olga Smirnova dancing Diamonds, and I'm referring to the second, more developed one at the final gala show of the MosFilm TV project "Bolshoi Ballet" in September, 2012). For me, Suzanne Farrell seemed to have a beautiful gracefulness, a softness, that I don't overall associate with Balanchine dancers. There are a lot of similarities between her manner and that of the Vaganova 'derived' Olga Smirnova. It is a beautiful comparison, which also implies to me that the Balanchine 'image', even during his direction, was and is a flexible one.

Balanchine, like anything in art, is open to rewarding interpretation. Even though Balanchine said that others will stage his works, but no one will do it like he would have done it, with the obvious implication of his definite intent, CriticalDance's own "balletomaniac", Jerry Hochman, whose NYCB and ABT reviews I would highly recommend, had this to say about a recent NYCB evening of dancer demonstration and discussion:

"It was a great free performance – but it also was a marvelous presentation, all the more significant for dispelling any lingering perception that ballerinas are bunheads (I overheard innumerable members of the audience commenting, with some measure of surprise, on how articulate and intelligent these ballerinas were), and for reemphasizing through the ballerinas’ repeated comments that Balanchine ‘allowed room for the ballerinas to create a world around them’. (Ms. Mearns) That is, contrary to common understanding, Balanchine dancers were not mannequins chained to the choreography and some preconceived image concept, but were given the opportunity to put their own stamp on a role."

And so does the Mariinsky put its "own stamp on a role" (or work), and in my opinion, Beautifully !

Do "Butterflies" (not tall ballerinas) smile more ? I have asked and answered this question by writing that they do seem to. The "Butterflies" that I think about are often lovable little bundles of expression and emotion. Maybe its because they're not large in size that they seem to project more. The other grouping that I think about is the "Swans" (tall ballerinas). They are tall and elegant and maybe don't have the need to be more expansive. They can just stand there and you are wowed.

Anastasia Kolegova -- "Butterfly(!)"

She is one of my most recent personal ballerina discoveries. She's a Sweetheart ! And if that's not enough, she's one darn fine dancer. She knocked myself and the audience out of our chairs with her two October performances (Costa Mesa, Ca.) of "Swan Lake."

She can't seem to turn that smiling essence off and for me that's great ! I've just been watching her recent performance as Gamzatti from "La Bayadere" on the internet. "That little bundle of sunshine dancing Gamzatti !?," I ask myself. Well she sails through it (or should I say, "above It") beautifully.

I really hope that she will be featured in this year's fine looking Festival program.

I just received the press release -- of interest is the "Evening of Young Choreographers" (actually a matinee) which doesn't yet have any details posted... curious who the choreographers will be, I presume this will not include any new works but 'reruns' of previous premieres? However it would be fantastic if there were something new there. They haven't before included both a matinee and an evening performance during the festival, so this is a first.

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